Filter.



Patented June 3, I902.

6. F. HODKINSON.

F l LTEB.

(Application filed Dec. 30, 1901.)

3 Sheets-Shegt I.-

(No Model.)

,Nq. 7o|,72s. Patented lu' n e 3, 1902., G. F. HUDKINSDN. FILTER.

( Application filed Dec. so, 1901.

,( M 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Patented June 3, I902.

G. F. HODKINSON.

Fl L TE B. (Application filed Dec. 80, 190 1.)

3 Sheets$heet 3.

(No ModeL) w: ndnnis nzrzns co. mom-mm. wlsumcrum u. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

"GEORGE F. HODKINSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 701,726, dated June 3,1902.

' Application filed December30, 1901. SBIiaINO- 87,826. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that'I, GEORGE F. HoDKmsoN,

a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the countyof Cook and State of Illinois, have invented, certain new and usefulImprovements in Filters, of which the fol ing of the bed is effected byreversing the di-' rection of the flow of the water therethroug'h, and araking or agitating apparatus is employed for cooperationtherewith'duringthe breaking up andremoval of the film or crust and thewashing operation.

As thus related the objects of the'invention are to provide not only forthe more thorough breaking up and removal of any film or crust that maybe formed upon the upper surface of the bed and the; more efficientwashing of such bed and the carrying away of the im-; purities liberatedtherefrom, but also for the automatic adjustment of the teeth of therake or agitating apparatus, whereby to adapt them to the differentoperations of breaking up the crust and the agitation of themate rial ofthe filter-bed as the removal of the one and the washing of the othermay be re quired. v To these ends the invention consists, first,

in the employment, in connection with the fil ter-walls, the filter-bed,and the meansfor.

conducting the water thereto and for oon ducting it therefrom','ofbothan open-top trough and an open-bottom trough arranged around theinner side of the Walls and in relation to the filter-bed, whereby thewater to be filtered is delivered to the open-top trough and passes overits inner walls to the filterbed, and the crust and the water with whichit is mixed after the former has been broken is passed to the waste weiror sewer beneath the inner edge of the open-bottom trough; second, intheconstruction of the raking or agitating apparatus and in the meansWhereby it is mounted and operated, and, third, in various otherconstructions and combinations of parts, all as will hereinafter morefully appear. 1

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of thisspecification, Figure 1 is a plan view of a filter constructed inaccordance with my invention, a portion of the filter-bed being removedand the belts for operating the raking or agitating apparatus beingbroken away for convenience of illustration; Fig. 2, a vertical centralsectional elevation thereof, taken in the plane 00 00 of Fig. 1, withthe axis of one of the water-supplying pipes shown arranged in thatplane; Fig. 3, a similar vertical central sectional elevation of thesame, taken in the plane y y of Fig. 1 at right angles to Fig. 2; Fig.4, a horizontal sectionaldet'ail of a portion of the raking or agitatingapparatus, taken in the plane 2' z of Fig. 2; and Fig. 5, a detailshowing the rake-carrier-operat-ing shaft, with the operating pulleysand clutch by means of which they are connected therewith shown in1ongitudinal section.

. In all the figures like letters of reference are employed to designatecorresponding parts.

A indicates the side walls of a filter, and B the bottom thereof. In theconstruction of these filters any approved form may be adopted, and theside walls and bottom thereof may be composed of any appropriatematerial. In the form of the invention which I have selected for thepurpose of illustration,however, the filter is constructed of circularform and the walls thereof are composed of segmental staves of wood a,which are firmly bound to gether edge to edge by suitable bands or hoops'ct",'.with the bottom B of similar material secured within the lowerportion of the walls by a groove a in which its periphery enters, asshown.

D indicates the filter-bed, which is or may be constructed of sand,gravel, or other appropriate granular material or ofrtwo or. more ofthem combined, as may be desired. I prefer, however, to construct it ofsand and gravel and to arrange these materials within the filter-wallsin the order of their fineness, with the largest or coarsest of theirgrains at the bottom and the progressively smaller or finer grainsabovein regular order to the top, where the finest grains are disposed.As thus constructed the water to be filtered is delivered upon the topof this filter-bed and after havin g traversed the same is dischargedfrom the bottom thereof. To permit of this being accomplished, I providethe filter, near its top, with a pipe E, which is connected with thesource of the water-supply, and also near its bottom with a second pipeF, thatis connected with the pipe or main leading to the point ofconsumption. Instead, however, of delivering the water directly from thepipe E upon the top of the filter-bed I preferably make use of anopen-top gutter G, into which it is discharged and from which it isdelivered upon the top the filter-bed. This gutter is located at somedistance above the upper surface of the filter-bed and may beconstructed in various forms and of divers materials. In the preferredembodiment of my invention, however, it is constructed in rectangularform in cross-section,with the inner wall 9 and the bottom g formed frommetal, and the outer wall formed by the wallsAof the filters,in asuitable groove 9 formed in the interior of which the outer edge of thebottom 9 enters and is firmly clamped and secured. As thus constructedthe discharge of the water delivered thereto by the pipe E upon thefilter-bed is over its inner wall g, and in order to obviate thedisarrangement of the top of the filter-bed by the erosion incident tothe discharge of the water upon it at a single point the gutter G ispreferably extended entirely around the interior of the filter-walls,whereby to cause the discharge of the water upon the filter-bed entirelyaround its edge.

While the pipe E thus terminates in the gutter G, the pipe F, on theother hand, extends inward across the bottom of the filter-bed and isprovided at suitable points along its length with laterally-extendingbranches f, which, with the main pipe F, are provided at theproperdistances apart upon their upper surfaces with strainers f.

The filter being constructed and equipped as above described serves toreceive the water from the source of supply and after filtering itdeliver it to the point of consumption, which operations when initiatedmaybe continued until the filter-bed becomes so contaminated and cloggedby the impurities separated out from the water and taken up by it in thefiltering operation that the passage of the water through the bed is soretarded that the washing and cleansing of the latter becomes necessary.In order, therefore, to accomplish this washing and cleansing operation,the pipes II and I are employed, of which the former is connected withthe pipe F outside of the filter and with the pipe E or other source ofwater-supply, while the latter is connected with the gutter G and leadsto the sewer or other convenient waste-weir. By these means the washingof the filterbed by the passing of a current of water upwardly throughthe same to the sewer or other point of waste is effected, and in orderto permit of this being accomplished the supply-pipe E and thedischarge-pipe F are respectively provided with valves 6 and f which arefirst closed, and the valves 7L and i, with which the pipes H and I arerespectively provided, then opened, when the water will enter at thebottom of the bed and passing upwardly through the same will cleanse andwash out all the impurities taken up by it, carrying them over into thegutter G, and thence to the sewer or other wasteweir through the pipe I.In those cases, however, where the quantity of the impurities carried bythe water to be filtered is considerable or its character is tenacious afilm or crust is formed upon the surface of the filterbed during thefiltering operation, which requires removal before the washing operationcan be commenced and in some instances at other frequent intervals. Topermit of this removal, the open-bottom trough K is employed, which,extending along the edges of the filter-bed, is disposed slightly abovethe same with its open-bottom portion in close relationship thereto andis connected with a sewer or other convenient place of discharge throughthe intervention of a pipe L, which leads from a point in the formernear the surface of the filter-bed to the latter and is provided with avalve 1, by means of which it may be closed or opened, as may bedesired. In some instances a single pipe L will be found sufiicient,while in others a plurality of these pipes may be necessary, and thesame is true respecting the pipe I, which will be similarly varied tomeet the requirements demanded. As thus arranged the trough K may beconstructed in various forms. When the form of open-top gutter G (shownin the drawings) is employed, however, its inner walls are preferablyconstructed by extending the inner wall g of that gutter downward theproper distance below the bottom g to form it and to avail of thatbottom and of the side walls A of the titer to form its respective topand outer walls, as shown.

With the trough K and pipe L arranged as above explained the removal ofthe film or crust is eifected by first closing the valves in all of thevarious pipes, with the exception of the valve 6 in the pipe E, whichwill remain open until the water rises above the filter-bed to near thetop of the inner wall g of the open-top gutter G, when that valve willlikewise be closed and the film or crust then thoroughly broken intosmall fragments by agitation or otherwise and intermixed with the waterabove the filter-bed, after which the valve Z in the pipe L will bequickly opened and the water, with the fragments of the film or crusttherein, passed outwardly beneath the lower edge of the inner walls g ofthe openbottom trough K to the pipe L and thence through it to the seweror other point of discharge. In most instances a single discharge of thewater thus stored through the pipe L will be sufficient to carry awaythe entire broken film or crust. When, however, it is not sufficient forthe purpose, the valve Z in the pipe L will be closed after the firstdischarge, the valve 6 in the pipeE again opened, and the water above 7the filter bed again raised therefrom to near the top of the inner wallsof the open-top gutter G,when the valve e will be again closed, theportions of the film or crust remaining again intermixed by agitationwith the water thus supplied, the valve l in the pipe L again quicklyopened, and the water and portions of the film or crust remainingconducted outward beneath the inner walls of the open-bottom trough K tothe pipe L and thence to the place of dis-. charge, as before explained,and so on until theentire film or crust is carried away. It will thusbeseen that by arranging the openbottom trough K in close relationship tothe surface of the filter-bed a practically closed tubular mouthextending entirely around the edges of the filter-bed is formed for thepipe or pipes L, with onlya narrow. slit provided in the trough alongits lower edge, into and through which the water and broken film orcrust is drawn in all directions outward from the filter-bed to'theinterior of'the trough when the valve Z is open instead of in a directline toward thepipe or pipes L, and a more efiicient removal of the samebefore its subsidence and settling upon the filter-bed thereby effected.Instead, however, of supplying the water necessary to the floating awayof the film or crust through the pipe E it may be supplied through thepipe H from the source of supply by opening the valve h and retaining itin that condition until the water is raised to the proper height abovethe filterbed, when it will be closed and the breaking up and removal ofthe film or crust effected. It is preferred, however, to supply itthrough the pipe E by openingthe valve 2; but the supply may be througheither of the pipes and the same result accomplished with equalefficiency. The removal of the film or crust from the surface of thefilter-bed being effected, the filtering operation may then be resumedor the washing of the filter-bed resorted to. When economy in the use ofwater for washing purposes is necessary or desirable,then thebreaking upand removal of the film or crust a number of times between any twosuccessivewashings of the filter-bed may be effected, and in these casesthe valves 6 and f in the respective pipes E and F, afterlthe film orcrust has been removed and the valve Z closed, will be opened and thefiltering operation thereby resumed. On the contrary, when after thebreaking up and removal of the film or crust has been accomplished thewashing of the filter-bed is desired, then after the removal of the filmor crust has been effected and the valve Z closed the valves h and 'iwill be opened, when the water will enter through the pipes H and F,and, passing upward through the filter-bed and over the inner walls g ofthe open-top gutter G, will flow to the sewer or other convenient placeof discharge throughgthe pipe I and accomplishthe washing operation, asbefore explained. WVith the completion ofthe washing of the filter-bedthe valves h and i will be closed, the valves 6 and f opened,and thefiltering operation resumed, and so on.

With a view to the breaking up of the film or crust preparatory to itsremoval and the loosening up and agitation of the components of thefilter-bed during the washing operation the rakes M are employed, which,extending outward radially from the center of the filter to near theouter walls thereof, are

secured to the under side of. the rotatable car-' rier N and are carriedaround by it overthe filter-bed in one or the other direction, as thebreaking up of the film or crust or the loosening up and agitation ofthe bed maybe respectively required. To permit of this beingaccomplished, the carrier N extends diametrically across the top of the.filter and is provided at its middle point With an upwardlyextendingvertical stud m, that is journaled in a suitable bearing m, which issecured between the cross-beams O, that are supported above the filter,from the side walls A thereof, through the intervention of appropriatestandards m with the opposite ends of the rotatable carrier providedwith wheels a, that are adapted to travel upon an annular track n,secured upon the upper edge of the side walls A, as shown. As thussupported and arranged, the movement of the rakes M over the filter-bedin one or the other direction is effected by rotating the carrier N inthe direction required. The means through which this rotation may beimparted to the carrier may be of various forms. I prefer, however, toimpart it thereto through the instrumentality of a shaft R, which,mounted in. suitable bearings 0, formed in the stands or hangers 0 and 0that are secured to the crossbeams O, is connected with the prime mover,

through appropriate means whereby to be operated therefrom. Formakingthis connection I preferably employ the pulleys p and p, which areloosely mounted upon the shaft R and are respectively embraced by astraight belt (1 and a cross-belt q, that lead to and aroundcorresponding pulleys (not' shown) upon the shaft of the prime mover, aswill be readily understood. With the shaft R mounted and operated asthus described it is connected with the carrier N through theintervention of a bevel-gear r, which, fixedly secured to the inner endof the shaft, intermeshes with a corresponding bevel-gear 'r', securedto the upper end of a vertical shaft S, that in turn is mounted in asuitable bearing r in the stand or hanger 0 and is provided at its lowerend with a spur-gear r which intermeshes with. a corresponding spur-gearr that is fixedly secured to the upper side of the rotatable carrier,with its axis in coincidence with that of the stud m, upon which carrierrotates. As thus connected with the source of power, the rotation of thecarrier in one direction will beeifected when required by simplyconnecting the pulley p the water.

the shaft R and its disconnection therefrom as the rotation of thecarrier in one or the other direction is required, I provide each ofthese pulleys with a clutch member 1) on its inner face and employ inconnection therewith a sliding clutch member R, which, loosely mountedupon the shaft, is connected therewith through the intermediary of afeather 0 whereby to be capable of a backand-forth movement thereon, andmay be brought into engagement with the clutch member 19 of either ofthe pulleys p or p, as may be desired, through the intervention of alever T, which, pivoted intermediate of its length upon a stand t,extending upwardly from the cross-beams O, engages at its forked innerend 15' with a circumferential groove 1', formed in the clutch member R,as shown.

With the parts connected as above described when the breaking up of thefilm or crust and the intermixture of its fragments with the water abovethe filter-bed are required the rotation of the carrier N in the properdirection to cause the rakes M to trail over it will be effected bybringing the sliding clutch member B into engagement with theappropriate pulleyp orp, when the rakes by the resistance afiorded totheir teeth .9 by the material of the filter-bed as they are carriedover it will be swung backward with respect to the carrier, as shown bydotted lines in Fig. 3, and in their forward movements over it in thesepositions will break up such film or crust and intermix its fragmentswith On the other hand, when the loosening up and agitation of thecomponents of the filter-bed is required during the washing operationthen the rotation of the carrier in the opposite direction to cause theteeth 8 of the rakes to move around through them will be accomplished bybringing the sliding clutch R into engagement with the other of thesepulleys p orp', when the rakes will be brought into vertical positions,as shown by full lines in Fig. 3, and there held so long as the carrieris rotated in that direction and the loosening up and agitatingoperations are to be efiected. In order, therefore, to provide for thesemovements of the rakes, the supports for their teeth 8 are preferablyconstructed in the form of shafts s, which, journaled to the under sideof the carrier N through the intervention of stands or hangers 8 areseverally provided with upwardly-extending arms s ,which,fixedly securedthereto, cooperate with the sides of the cross-beams O,whereby to permitof the rakes swinging backward to trail their teeth upon the film orcrust when the carrier is rotated in one direction and hold them firmlyin vertical positions when it is rotated in the other. Thus, as will beseen, the breaking up of the film or crust and the loosening up andagitation of the components of the filter-bed are accomplished by simplyrotating the carrier N in the required direction, and in order to aid inthe carrying of the water passed upward through the filter-bed duringthe washing operation outward and into thegutter G over the inner wall 9thereof I sometimes find it expedient to provide some or all of therake-teeth s with deflecting blades 5 which, secured thereto, extendoutwardly and backwardly therefrom at an angle of approximatelyfortyfive degrees, as shown more fully in Fig. 4.

WVith the axis of the supporting-shafts s disposed in a vertical planepassing through the axis of rotation of the carrier N the free ends ofthe teeth .9 of the rakes M when trailing upon the film or crust or thetop of the filter-bed during their revolution over the same describe avery much larger circle than the ends thereof that are secured to theirrespective supporting-shafts s, and as a consequence of this the strainimparted to them instead of being in a direction of their length is moreor less transversely of them, as they are disposed near or remote fromthe axis about which they are revolved. To resist this strain and insureof the proper working of all the teeth automatically when the directionof rotation of the carrier is reversed, these teeth 8 instead of beingloosely mounted upon their respective supporting-shafts s are fixedlysecured thereto, and whatever swinging movements with respect to thecarrier N that are necessary to allow of their assuming a trailing andvertical position are permitted through the journaling of theirsupporting-shafts in the stands or hangers 8 By this arrangement, aswill be seen, the efficient operation of these teeth is insured at alltimes, and the liability to distortion of their bearings and theconsequent binding of the same incident to excessive lateral strainsthereon obviated.

It will thus be perceived from the foregoing that I produce a filterwhich while simple in construction and efficient in operation permits ofthe breaking up and removal of any film or crust that may be formed onthe surface of the filter-bed, as well 'as the loosening up andagitation of the components of the filter-bed during the washingoperation, by simply rotating the rakes or agitating devices in one andthen in the other direction.

Although in the foregoing I have described the form of the inventionwhich I prefer to employ in practice, I wish it distinctly understoodthat I do not limit myself thereto, as it is obvious that variousmodifications may be made therein without departing from the spiritthereof.

Having now described my invention and specified certain of the ways inwhich it is or may be carried into effect, I claim and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States- IIO 1. The combination, with afilter, a filterbed, and means for supplying water thereto from thesource of supply, of an open-bottom trough arranged in closerelationship to the upper surface of the filter-bed, and a conductorleading from theopen-bottom trough to the place of discharge whereby thefilm or crust formed on the top of the filter-bed when broken may beremoved therefrom, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a filter, a filterbed, and means for supplyingwater thereto from the source of supply, of an open-top trough, anopen-bottom trough, and a con ductor leading from the open-bottom troughslightly above the level of the surface of the filter-bed to the placeof waste, whereby the water is supplied to the filter, and the film orcrust formed upon the surface of the filterbed when broken may befloated away, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with a filter,.a filterbed, means for supplyingwater thereto from the source of supply, an open-bottom trough arrangedin close relationship to the uppersurface of the filter-bed, and aconductor leading from the open-bottom trough to the place of waste, ofa series of rake-teeth arranged above the filter-bed and adapted totrail upon its upper surface, and meansfor supporting and revolvingthese teeth around over such upper surface, whereby not only is thewater supplied to the filter, but the film or crust formed 011 the topof the filter-bed broken and carried away to the place of waste,substantially'as described;

4. The combination, with a filter, a filterbed, an open-top trough, anopen-bottom trough, conductors for respectively supplying water to theopen-top trough and to the under side of the filter-bed, and means forcontrolling the fiow of water through these condoctors, of conductorsleading from both the open-top. trough and the open-bottom trough to theplace of waste, means for controlling the flow of water through theseconductors, a series of rake-teeth arranged in relation to thefilter-bed, a carrier for supporting these rake-teeth, and means forrotating such teeth in one and in the other direction, whereby not onlymay water be supplied to the filter, the film or crust formed on the topof the filter-bed broken, and the fragments carried away to the place ofwaste, but the washing of the filter-bed and the agitation and looseningup of the components thereof effected during the washing operation,substantially as described.

5. The combination, with a filter, and the filter-bed arranged therein,of a rake comprising a shaft and teeth fixedly secured thereto, acarrier in which such shaft is rotatably journaled whereby to permit ofthe teeth being'swung upwardly by the action of the filter-bed upon themand trailed upon the upper surface thereof, when the rake is carriedaround in one direction, and of being swung downward byits action uponthem, when the rake is carried around in the opposite direction, andmechanism for limiting the downward swinging movement of the teeth, andfor rotating such carrier in one and in the other direction over thefilter-bed, substantially as described.

6. The combination, with a filter provided with a track around its upperedge, and afiltor-bed arranged therein, of a carrier extending acrossthe filter-bed and provided with wheels for cooperation with such track,rakes, each of which comprises a shaft and teeth fixedly securedthereto, journaled to such carrier whereby to permit of the teeth beingswung upward by the action of the filter-bed upon them'and trailed uponits upper surface, when the rakes are carried around over vided with thestands or hangers of rakes M, each of which comprises a shafts'journaled in such stands or hangers and provided with teeth 8 fixedlysecured thereto, whereby such teeth are rendered capable of being swungupward by theaction of the filter-bed upon them and trailed upon itsupper surface, when the rakes are carried around over the same in onedirection, and of being swung downward by its action upon them when therakes are carried around over it in the opposite direction, stops 8 forlimiting the downward swinging movement of said teeth, and

-mechanism for rotating the carrier-in one and in the other directionover the filter-bed asrequired, substantially as described.

. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this19th day ofDecember, 1901.

GEORGE F. I-IQDKINSON.

WVitnesses:

WM. H.- APPLETON,

R. F. SWEENY.

- the same in one direction, and of being swung

